A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved July 14 the sale of two Cathedral Hill properties from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to the Cathedral Heritage Foundation and a subsidiary, 244 Dayton LLC, for $900,000.

The archdiocese announced in June its plans to sell to the foundation 244 Dayton Ave., home to the archdiocese’s Office of Communications and Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, and a vacant lot at 250 Dayton Ave.

“We appreciate the court’s favorable ruling on this transaction and we are looking forward to closing on the purchase on schedule,” the Cathedral Heritage Foundation said in a July 15 statement.

The properties are the last the archdiocese plans to sell as part of its Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. It has also sold its chancery and archbishop’s residence on Summit Avenue, an office building on Kellogg Boulevard and a residence near Northfield, with sales totaling $9,040,000.

The archdiocese plans to relocate its Cathedral Hill offices to a leased space in St. Paul’s Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood.

The Cathedral Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit that provides support for and education about the restoration and preservation of the Cathedral and its campus. The Dayton Building, as 244 Dayton Ave. is known, sits directly behind the Cathedral and abuts the Cathedral rectory.

In a June 20 statement on the sale, the Cathedral Heritage Foundation said it planned to buy the 94-year-old office building and nearby vacant lot because “the properties share infrastructure with the Cathedral and have an historic connection to the campus.”

The Cathedral Heritage Foundation plans to lease the properties to the Cathedral. Funds for the purchase were raised specifically for the purpose of the sale, and the sale is not expected to impact the foundation’s other activities.

The Dayton Building served as archdiocesan chancery offices from its construction until the early 1960s, with the construction of the chancery offices on Summit Avenue. It has long been the offices of The Catholic Spirit and its predecessor, The Catholic Bulletin, and once housed Catholic Cemeteries offices. It has also held several archdiocesan offices, including the Worship Center, the Center for Ministry, the Vicar for Religious, and Religious Retirement Office, and the Protection of Children and Youth Initiative.

“We want the Dayton Avenue property, along with the Cathedral and other historic buildings that are home to the Cathedral campus, to remain a source of pride and inspiration for generations to come,” the foundation stated.

The foundation has supported the restoration of the Cathedral’s pipe organs and two rose windows, the polishing of its marble floors and LED-lighting installation, in addition to arts, music and cultural programming.